Master
by Relinquished
Summary: He is called the ‘Master’, and yet he cannot control the fact that everyone in his life will eventually leave him. A Yanagi Renji fic


**Master**

Disclaimer: I don't own Tenipuri, never have and never will – get it?

Summary: He is called the 'Master', and yet he cannot control the fact that everyone in his life will eventually leave him. A Yanagi Renji fic

Notes: I love Tenipuri, because it offers such a wide range of characters for you to love and fangirl. Like Tezuka and Fuji, my OTP – they are hot, sexy and they are SO DAMNED GOOD TOGETHER! Then again, that's my fangirl speaking XD.

Even so, I've come to find that Yanagi Renji is the character I can identify with most in the whole series. Sometimes even Oishi is someone who reminds me of myself, but I've found that – relationship-wise (friendship, people!) – Yanagi and I have a lot more in common. So I decided to write a fic about him (and about me too).

Hope you enjoy!

**Master**

**By Relinquished**

Maybe he should have expected it to come. He should have known, from the beginning, that this wasn't going to last.

Still, it hurt. And it wasn't a sudden shock of pain, either. This was real, it grew and it was still growing. It mingled with slight apprehension, a defensive reflex and, above all, fears. Fear of what was to come, the future, and how he was going to survive. And it wouldn't pass.

Backtrack.

Three years ago, he and his best friend were still the unbeatable doubles team in the elementary school circuit. They played the sort of tennis that others took so long to perfect – and they played it perfectly. They had almost reached National level with their skills. Almost.

Then he had gone and screwed it up.

Now they played the sort of tennis that anyone could play. One man play. It was no longer a duet, but a solo. There was no harmony, or accompaniment. When they stood on the court, it was a single voice soaring above all others on the sidelines, in the stands and on the other side of the net.

But somewhere along the line, he had been drowned out.

He knew it wouldn't last, his singles debut. From the moment he had laid eyes on the stern, proud figure of Sanada Genichirou, he knew. This was a man who could outshine all his rivals, solo or duet. But he endeavoured, trying to keep up, to be on the same level as Sanada, even if it killed him. That was how they had met.

In their freshman year together, they became somewhat friends. It wasn't the friendship he had had in elementary school with his doubles partner, but it was a friendship nevertheless. Sanada didn't talk much, or show any outward emotion, but he knew – and that was all that mattered.

Forward, to junior year.

Yukimura Seiichi was incredible. He was smart, good-looking and he was the kindest person he had ever met. Somehow, for the first year of junior high, Yukimura had escaped his notice, even though he had prided himself on knowing most things about the tennis club.

The pale, soft-spoken boy became Vice-Captain of the tennis club, outshining Sanada's blazing golden light with his ethereal silver. He was on a different level, one that neither of them could reach.

He longed for it.

Playing Yukimura was nothing short of incredible. It was beyond any of his expectations, awe-inspiring and yet so deceptively simple. There was power behind every cool, calculated shot and it was an alto-soprano that brought him close to tears. Because he knew that Yukimura was a true soloist.

From the sun, he began to gravitate towards the moon.

Being close to the moon, it was different to being with the sun. With the moon, there was always a chance to shine. With the sun, it was a competition. The moon knew how to let the stars twinkle and shimmer at its best. The sun would always try to outshine, to make itself the centre of attention.

He thought he had finally made his voice heard amongst the crowd, solo.

Third year.

Yukimura became the Captain of their tennis club. He chose Sanada as his Vice. Together, they filled the heavens with their glorious light.

No matter how hard the sun tried, it could not outshine the moon.

Yukimura was the Captain, Sanada the Emperor and he was the Master. By third year, he had brought his two companions together. It had been awkward at first. The sun was determined to prove that it was brighter than the moon.

He didn't know how or when exactly it had happened, but he could feel it.

The moon shone brighter when it was with the sun. The sweet, alto-soprano pierced the hearts of all with its powerful, baritone accompaniment.

He felt his voice beginning to be drowned out again.

"Ne, Yanagi-senpai! I want a rematch!"

Yanagi looked up from his notes and came face-to-face with an excited kouhai. Kirihara Akaya had a gleam in his eyes, the gleam of a challenge he was determined to take.

"Rematch, Akaya? Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes! I want a rematch!"

Beyond the junior, he could see Sanada and Yukimura, inseparable as always. The Captain had a radiant, doting smile on his face and even the ever-stoic Sanada managed a small, rather hesitant, softness to his features.

He had left the ground he had begun on, three years ago. When he entered Rikkaidai, he had taken wing and flew towards the sun, the moon – the heavens. But he failed to see that stars cannot be compared to the two heavenly bodies.

It was a bitter twist of irony. He was called the 'Master', and yet he could not control the fact that everyone in his life would eventually leave him.

But it didn't matter. For now, it was enough to see the sun and the moon shine in the heavens in harmony. A day would come when they would fade and the stars would have their time to shine. A day would come.

He just had to wait.

"_Yanagi-senpai_," Kirihara whined.

"Yes, I'm coming, Akaya."

**End**


End file.
